Will Ferrell play lifts Broadway

Despite economy, 'Bush' lands at number six

By GORDON COX

Premiums tix helped Will Ferrell's 'You're Welcome America' pull in more than its gross potential.

Will Ferrell proved one of the few bright spots last week at the Broadway box office, which saw sales at almost every production fall in the January chill.

The first week of Ferrell’s “You’re Welcome America. A Final Night With George W Bush” pulled in a robust $837,353 -- more, in fact, than its gross potential, thanks to premium-priced tickets -- and played to full houses. So far, at least, the show is proving that even in the current economic climate, a movie star can still draw ticket buyers, even if he is portraying a president who got the boot the day the show started previews.

“You’re Welcome America” landed at No. 6 in the top 10, which, despite general dips, was still led by habitual headliners “Wicked” ($1,236,816), “Billy Elliot” ($1,096,021) and “Jersey Boys” ($990,622).

Drops of more than $100,000 each were not uncommon, with “The Lion King” ($861,468) sinking by more than $160,000 thanks in part to Disney Theatricals’ Kids Go Free! initiative. Disney stablemates “Mary Poppins” ($608,046) and “The Little Mermaid” ($602,761) were similarly down.

Largest slide of the week, however, was posted by “Shrek the Musical” ($603,820), down more than $180,000, or around 23% vs. the prior frame. “Speed-the-Plow” ($315,745) also took a hefty hit, off 25% in the second week for new star William H. Macy.

On the upswing, on the other hand, was Chinese acrobatics offering “The Soul of Shaolin” ($424,886), gaining about $65,000 in sales over its first week on the boards.

Meanwhile, “The 39 Steps” ($187,902) rejoined the fray, playing its first frame in the Helen Hayes Theater after it moved out of the Cort earlier this month.

Streetwide cume fell $1.2 million to $12.7 million for 22 shows on the boards. That’s lower than the $14.5 million or so logged during the same weeks in 2008 and 2007, although there were 30 shows playing at this time last year and 26 in 2007.